The purpose of this Core Center grant is to continue and enhance a Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research for Underserved Populations (CHPR) within the formal structure of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin. Activities and studies supported by the Center will emphasize the development of health promotion/disease prevention interventions that are community-based, culturally competent and age- and gender-specific to promote the health of underserved groups. The Center will include a core administrative structure, a pilot/feasibility grant mechanism, and three research cores: Theory, Research Methods & Technology Core, Dissemination Core, and Underserved Populations Core. Major components of the Center will be the promotion of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration among researchers; exploration of innovative ways of using technology in research with underserved populations; dissemination and translation of research findings; and development of linkages with representatives of underserved groups. Pilot studies supported by the Center will be conducted with the common specific aim of acquiring the data to justify extramural grant applications to test innovative health promotion/disease prevention interventions for underserved groups. The intent of the research will be to reduce disparities in the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations; of women and children, In particular those from impoverished backgrounds: and of people with chronic and disabling conditions. The Center will provide needed resources and support services to continue recent momentum in research productivity of nursing faculty; to enable current investigators to add depth and breadth to their work; to foster increased collaboration among School of Nursing faculty and faculty from other University departments; to develop new faculty investigators at minority serving institutions; and to expand the number of nursing faculty conducting health promotion/disease prevention intervention projects targeted at underserved populations.